This month's snapshot of the latest mobile trends in the local and international digital landscape.

1. Mobile ReportSEPTEMBER2013

2. INSERT IMAGE IN BACKGROUND
MAKE SURE IT FILLS THE SCREEN 100%
A MONTHLY SNAPSHOT OF
MOBILE NEWS, VIEWS, EVENTS
& DEVELOPMENTS LOCALLY
AND ABROAD.

3. HOWTOUSETHISREPORT
This report is intended to be an easy-to-reference tool.
It is a resource that you can flip through in your own time –
and not necessarily read from front-to-back.

4. CONTENTS
» Executive Summary
» Section 1: Mobile Landscape
» Section 2: Mobile Innovation and Campaigns
» Section 3: Mobile Devices and Operating Systems
» Section 4: Mobile Networks
» Section 5: Technology
» Section 6: Social Networks
» Section 7: Facebook Statistics forAfrica
» Sources and Contacts

5. Executive Summary

6. EXECUTIVESUMMARY
1. Africa’smobilemarketispredictedtoquadrupleby2020
2. Africa’stoptenlargestmobilemarketsidentified
3. Nigeria’sGTBank tosellprepaidairtime
4. FreeDSTVMobilewithSamsungdeal
5. Chromecelebratesits5th anniversary
6. MicrosofttoacquireNokia’s handsets andservicesbusiness
7. AndroidKitKat:thenewAndroidversionrevealedbyGoogle
8. FirefoxisnowavailableinXhosa

7. EXECUTIVESUMMARY
9. TwonewphonesfromApple:iPhone5Sand5C
10. Vodafoneplanstolaunchitsown-brand4Gsmartphone
11. TelkomMobiletestedfreeWiFi
12. FacebooktestsTwitter-likefeed
13. WorldWideWorxreleaseditsresearchresultsaboutSouthAfrica’ssocialmedialandscape
14. Facebookstatisticsfor Botswana,Zimbabwe,Ghana,LesothoandSwaziland

8. Mobile Landscape
SECTION1

9. FNBIN-CHATMONEYTRANSFER
PATENT
» First National Bank (FNB) has registered a patent in South Africa for a
methodoftransferringmoneyusinganinstantmessagingserviceandhas
includedthefunctionalityinitssmartphoneapp.
» ThisisaccordingtotheheadofFNBConnect,FarrenRoper.
» Roper said that although instant messaging and mobile banking on their
own aren’t patentable, the combination of the two is what makes the
technologyuniqueandpatentable.
» UsersoftheFNBappcansendmoneytoacontactasaninstantmessage
inmuchthesamewayastheywouldsendaphoto.
» Funds are sent from and received by an FNB eWallet, a service which is
opentonon-FNBcustomersandlinkedtoyourcellphonenumber.
» Userswhoaren’tFNBcustomerscanonlyloadmoneyintotheireWalletat
anFNBATMthatsupportsautomateddeposits(FNBADT)afterregistering
atanFNBEasyPlanbranch.
» FNB promises that this registration is an easy process and that it only
requiresagreenbar-codedSouthAfricanidentitybook.
Source: mybroadband, 1 September 2013

10. OVER800,000GHANAMOBILE
SUBSCRIBERSPORTNUMBERS
» ClosetoonemillionmobilesubscribersinGhanahaveswitchednetworks
byportingtheirnumbers.
» This is according to Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA),
whichsaysthatduringAugustthenumberofsubscriberswhosuccessfully
completed ports reached 817,202, two years after the NCA introduced
MobileNumberPortability(MNP)inthecountry.
» MNP allows mobile telephony customers to move from one service
providertoanotherwhileretainingtheiroldmobilenumber.
» AndaccordingtotheNCA,447,095mobilephonesubscriberssuccessfully
portedtheirnumbersinthesecondyearoftheMNPprocess,whichended
July7.Thisinturnhasdepictedanincreaseof21%overthecorresponding
periodlastyear.
» “Currentfiguresshowthatthenetimpactoneachoperatorrangesfroma
positiveof5%toanegativeof2%oftheirrespectivesubscriberbases,with
newportstypicallyrunningbetween25,000and50,000permonth,”said
PaarockVanPercy,hedirectorgeneraloftheNCA.
» MobileoperatorsinGhanaincludethelikesofMTN,Glo,TigoandAirtel.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 4 September 2013

11. ‘AFRICA’SMOBILEMARKETTO
ALMOSTQUADRUPLEBY2020’
» Africa’s booming mobile phone market is forecast to almost quadruple in
size from a value of $60 billion in 2013 to $234 billion by 2020, say
researchers.
» US-based research firm Manifest Mind LLC forecasts that the African
mobilemarketistogrowatanannualrateof21.27%from2013to2020to
reachtheabove-mentionedtarget.
» Africa’s telecoms sector growth has surged in the last ten years as the
continenthasovertakenEuropeandLatinAmericatobecomethesecond
biggest market in the world for handsets after Asia, according to global
mobilephonebody,theGSMA.
» Figures from the GSMA also indicate that from 2007 to 2012 mobile
connectionsinAfricamorethandoubledfrom283millionto735million.
» In2005,thenumberofmobileconnectionsinAfricaamountedtojust15%
ofthecontinent’stotalpopulation,accordingtotheGSMA.
» Butby2012,thispercentagehadjumpedto72%ofAfrica’sestimatedone
billionpopulation.
» Mobile network operators are to be the largest beneficiaries of the growth
duringtheforecastperiod,followedbymobiledistributorsandretailers,says
Manifest.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 5 September 2013

12. GSMATOACCELERATEAFRICAN
BROADBANDROLL-OUT
» Six sub-Saharan African countries have joined forces with the global
associationformobileoperators,theGSMA,totrytoacceleratetheroll-out
ofmobilebroadbandintheregion.
» Botswana,Lesotho,Malawi,Mozambique,TanzaniaandZambiatogether
withtheGSMAhaveagreedtoaseriesofmeasures,includingthecreation
of a ‘Joint Task Force’ to strengthen regional cooperation to support
investmentinmobilebroadband.
» According to a GSMA statement, the mobile ecosystem currently
contributes 6.3% of GDP across sub-Saharan Africa and could grow to
8.2%by2020withtherightpoliciestoencourageinvestment.
» And the agreement between the GSMA and the six countries is further
expectedtohelpcreateanadditional3.2millionjobsintheregionby2020.
» “The provision of universal broadband access is vital in driving economic
growth and improving the quality of life in Botswana and across southern
Africa,”saidNonofoE.Molefhi,Ministerof TransportandCommunication.
» “Withgreatercoordinationbetweenregionalgovernmentsandbetweenthe
public and private sectors, mobile broadband can play a critical role in
closingthedigitaldivide,”saidNonofo.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 9 September 2013

13. MOBILECLOSETO20%OFINTERNET
TRAFFICGLOBALLY
» According to data from StatCounter, mobile devices now
drivealmost20%ofallglobalinternettraffic.
» InAfrica,it’s25%,whileinAsiait’snearly30%.
» 1in4smartphoneusersgloballynowbeingChinese.
» India is the most mobile-centric country in the world, with
61%ofitsinternettrafficcomingviamobiledevices.
» Google’s mobile OS is growing at a break-neck speed.
Android has gone from making up a mere 1.6% of total
smartphone sales in Q1 2009 to accounting for a
whopping 74% of total global smartphone sales in the first
threemonthsof2013.
Source: Marketing Land, 4 September 2013

14. NIGERIANGOVERNMENTORDERS53
GOLDIPHONES
» To mark Nigeria’s upcoming independence celebrations, the country’s
government is reported to have ordered 53 customised gold-plated
AppleiPhones.
» Nigeria is to hold celebrations on October 1 to commemorate its
independencefromBritainin1960.
» And according to reports, the federal government has commissioned
British luxury products company, Gold and Co, to engrave 53 Apple
smartphonesingoldwithNigeria'scoatofarms.
» Founder of Gold and Co Amjad Ali, whose clientele include royal
families, governments and wealthy individuals, told the UK's
Independent newspaper that the Nigerian government had made the
orderforthespecialgoldplatedphones.
» Ithasalsobeenreportedthatthephonescouldcostanythingbetween
£3000and£50,000(N750,000toN12.5million).
Source: ITWeb Africa, 4 September 2013

15. AFRICA’STOPTENLARGESTMOBILE
MARKETS
» From2007to2012,Africa’snumberof mobileconnectionsmore than
doubled from 283 million to 735 million, according to global mobile
communicationsindustrybodytheGSMA.
» In the last ten years, Africa has also overtaken Europe and Latin
America to become the world’s second biggest market for handsets
afterAsia,saystheGSMA.
» AndUS-basedresearchfirmManifestMindLLCforecaststhatAfrica’s
booming mobile phone market is to almost quadruple in size from a
valueof$60billionin2013to$234billionby2020.
» In light of these key figures regarding Africa’s mobile phone market,
ITWeb Africa has put together a list of the continent’s top ten biggest
mobilephonemarkets.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 16 September 2013

16. AFRICA,MIDDLEEASTMOBILEPORN
AUDIENCETOHIT24MN
» Pornography could be viewed by 24 million people in Africa and the
MiddleEast onmobileand tablet devicesbythe year2017, according
toJuniperResearch.
» In a report called ‘Mobile Adult Content Monetisation, Technologies &
Legislation 2013-2018’, Juniper says a total of 243 million mobile
content users across the globe could be using mobile and tablet
devicestoaccessadultcontentby2017.
» Content that these users are expected to consume includes adult
mobile subscriptions, adult mobile video chat, adult SMS and adult
mobilevideocontent.
» The report adds that of the forecast 243 million mobile adult content
users,10.6%oftheseareexpectedtoliveinAfricaandtheMideast.
» “TheproportionofusersinAfricaisremarkablysimilarfor2013,at
10.5%oftheglobalmobileadultuserbase,”authorofthereport,Siân
Rowlands,toldITWebAfrica.
» Inaddition,Rowlandssaystheriseofthemobileinternetfacilitatedby
thegrowthinsmartphoneshasenabledmoreuserstoaccess
websitesandnavigatethemwithease.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 26 September 2013

17. NIGERIA’SGTBANKTOSELLPREPAID
AIRTIME
» Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust (GT) Bank has partnered with global mobile
messaging and transaction services firm Clickatell to provide a virtual
airtimetopup(VTU)offeringtobankingcustomers.
» As a result, GT Bank customers are set to be able to buy prepaid
airtime via mobile money, mobile banking or internet banking services
thankstothedevelopment.
» According to a press statement, the next phase of the partnership is
planned to include prepaid data, prepaid fixed lines and prepaid
BlackBerrybundles.
» “I think VTU will be a great mobile prepaid product distribution
technology that will revolutionise the telecoms distribution space
becauseofitseaseofusage,securityandavailability,”saidSamsonIsa,
directorofClickatellWestAfricainastatement.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 30 September 2013

18. Mobile innovation and
campaigns
SECTION2

19. SEACOMPARTNERSWITHFRANCE-IX
FORFRENCHCONTENTBOOST
» Africa may get faster access to online French language content thanks to
pan-African broadband service provider Seacom and internet exchange
operatorFrance-IXformingapartnership.
» An IX (internet exchange) or IXP (internet exchange point) allows service
providers to connect directly rather than through one or more third-party
networks.
» The 17,000km Seacom subsea broadband cable connects Africa’s
easterncoastlinetoEuropeandSouthernAsia.
» ThecablehaswhatSeacomofficialscallpointofpresenceareasinplaces
suchasNairobiinKenyaandMaputoinMozambique.
» ButthecompanysaysitalsoconnectstoWestAfricavia‘meetmepoints’
that connect to partner cables in countries such as Ghana and Nigeria,
whichhavelargefrancophoneneighbouringcountriessuchasCameroon,
IvoryCoastandBurkinaFaso.
» Seacom says the commercial offer is planned to be officially launched in
SeptemberduringtheAfricaInterconnectionandPeeringForum(AfPIF)in
Casablanca.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 2 September 2013

20. FREEDSTVMOBILEWITHSAMSUNG
DEAL
» SamsungSouthAfricahaspartneredwithDStvtoofferconsumersathree
month DStv Mobile subscription for free when buying the newlylaunched
GalaxytabletandDriftamobiledecoderforAndroidbundle.
» The Galaxy tablet and Drifta mobile decoder bundles are available at
networkoperatorsandleadingretailers.
» “This partnership enables us to offer a mobile broadcast entertainment
experience,inlinewithourphilosophytoassistconsumerstoenjoyamore
connected lifestyle,” said Craige Fleischer, Director: Mobile
CommunicationsatSamsungSA.
» “This limited edition bundle with Samsungisanotherstepinourjourneyto
bring the exciting realm of mobile television to more South Africans,” said
MarkRaynerCEOofDStvMobile.
Source: mybroadband, 16 September 2013

21. Mobile devices and
operating systems
SECTION3

22. CHROMECELEBRATESIT’S5TH
ANNIVERSARY
» Google's browser celebratesits 5th Chrome-iversary, and is nowa driving
force behind cuttingedge web innovation that commands around 17% of
theglobalmarket.AndChrome'snotdonewithyouyet.
» Not long after Google delivered its Chrome browser to an unsuspecting
world,Microsoft'sCEOSteveBallmerdownplayedthesignificance.
» "Opensourceisinteresting,"hesaidataMicrosoftconferenceinAustralia,
describingWebKit,therenderingenginethatChromewasfoundedon.
» At the time of Chrome's launch, Microsoft's much-derided but dominant
Internet Explorer commanded around 72% of the market, with Mozilla's
Firefox holding close to 20%, Safari taking just under 7%, and Opera and
otherbrowsersmakinguptheremainder.
Source: CNET, 2 September 2013

23. MICROSOFTTOACQUIRENOKIA'SDEVICES&
SERVICESBUSINESSFORAROUND$5BN
» According to Nokia, Microsoft will purchase "substantially" all of Nokia's
device and service arms as well as licensing the phone maker's patents
andmappingknow-how.
» The Redmond companywillpayNokia3.79billion euros($4.99 billion)for
thebusiness,and1.65billioneuros($2.18billion)foritspatentarmory.
» Microsoft hopes that allyingwith itsbiggestWindowsPhonemanufacturer
will speed up growth (and improve its smartphone market share) -- the
companyisalreadypromising"increasedsynergies.”
» CEO Steve Ballmer added: "It's a bold step into the future - a win-win for
employees,shareholdersandconsumersofbothcompanies.
» According to the companies' press releases, 32,000 people will transfer
acrossMicrosoft,including4,700peopleinFinlandand18,300employees
directlyinvolvedinproductmanufacture.
» Microsoft will also take into ownership Nokia's Asha range of feature
phones.
» Patent-wise, Microsoft gets 10-year non-exclusive license to its Finnish
partner's library of ideas and "reciprocal rights" to use Microsoft patents
withinitsHEREmappingservices.
Source: Engadget, 2 September 2013

24. LOWCOSTANDROIDSPURS208%TABLET
GROWTHINMIDDLEEAST,AFRICA
» Tablets have passed PC growth for the first time in the Middle East and
Africaregion,accordingtoIDCdata.
» Tabletshipmentsforthequarterwereupanenormous208%yearonyear
-managing2.79millionunits.
» Byvendor,Applewasontop,buttheAndroidOSwastothankforthemost
growth-grabbing2millionofthetotal.
» WindowsOSdidnotgainmuchtraction.
» IDC Middle East, Africa and Turkey analyst Victoria Mendes said Apple's
iPad mini launch did not stop the company losing share to Android,
particularlyascustomersintheregionwerecostconscious.
» Apple's market share for the second quarter, 2013, was 24.44% - with
Samsungnotfarbehindat22.48%.
» Next of the typical big brands were Lenovo, Asustek, and Acer, although
otherbrandtabletstookaformidable40.82%ofthewholemarket.
» ThisisinlinewithMendes'insistencethatlowcosttabletsarespurring
demandintheregion-whetherthey'refromtheexpectedmultinationalsor
fromotherAPACbrands.
Source: TechEye, 3 September 2013

25. ANDROIDKITKATREVEALEDBYGOOGLE
» In what can only be a massive marketing boost to Nestlé, Google has
announced the name of the forthcoming iteration of its Android mobile
operatingsystem(OS).
» ThenameisnotKeyLimePie,butratherAndroid4.4(KitKat),afterNestlé’s
popularchocolateandwaferconfectionery.
» InordertomarkthereleaseofAndroidKitKat,morethan50millionspecially
branded KitKat bars will be available in 19 markets including South Africa,
Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Middle East, Russia, the UK as
wellastheUS.
» Nestlé stated that these packs will lead consumers to the website
android.com/kitkat, where they will have the opportunity to win prizes that
includealimitednumberofGoogleNexus7tablets,andcreditstospendin
theGooglePlayappmarket.
» Android is the world’s most popular mobile OS, powering a commanding
79.3%of allsmartphonesshippedduringQ22013,accordingtothelatest
figuresfrommarketresearchfirmIDC.
» Various iterations of the platform have sported sweet-themed namesever
since the release of Android 1.5 Cupcake back in 2009. Cupcake was
followedbyDonut (Android1.6), which wassucceededbyEclair(Android
2.0),itselffollowedbyFroyo(Android2.1,FrozenYoghurt).
Source: techsmart, 4 September 2013

26. GOOGLERELEASESANDROIDUSAGEDATA
» InthewakeofitscrunchyKitKatnews,TechgiantGooglehasreleasedthe
latest Android mobile operating system (OS) usage data, revealing which
versionoftheplatformisdoingdutyonusers’smartphonesandtablets.
» Android Jelly Bean (Android 4.1 - 4.3) continues to boost its usage rates
quicker than the wink of an eye. Jelly Bean now powers 45.1% of all
Android-runningmobiledevicescomparedtofouroutofeveryten(40.5%)
lastmonth.
» Among others, Jelly Bean’s growth has come at Android Gingerbread’s
(Android2.3.3-2.3.7)expense,asitdroppeditsusagesharefrom33.1%
to30.7%currently.
» Also melting a bit in the adoption heat of JellyBean is Android Ice Cream
Sandwich(Android4.0.3-4.0.4),withashareof21.7%thatisslightlydown
fromlastmonth’s22.5%.
» The tablet-loving Honeycomb (Android 3.2) is still clinging on for dear life,
handlingtheoperatingon0.1%ofAndroid-powereddevices.
» Honeycomb’s Android retirement village neighbour, Froyo (Android 2.2),
possesses a 2.4% Android usage stake. Donut (Android 1.6) and Eclair
(Android 2.1) have finally been put out to pasture as both these outdated
iterations of Android no longer even feature in Google’s usage data
summary.
Source: techsmart, 6 September 2013

27. FIREFOXFINALLYAVAILABLEINXHOSA
» Web browser Mozilla Firefox is now available in South African language
isiXhosa,thankstogloballanguageserviceproviderRubric.
» isiXhosa isSouthAfrica’ssecondmost widelyspokenlanguageafterZulu
with16millionspeakersaccordingtoStatisticsSouthAfrica.
» Meanwhile, Firefox is the world’s second most popular web browser after
GoogleChrome,sayW3schools.comfigures.
» The Firefox browser, which is developed using an open source model,
alreadyhassoftwarepacksforSouthAfricanlanguagessuchasAfrikaans,
ZuluandevenVenda.
» And isiXhosa speakers now have this luxury as well, thanks to Rubric
translating30,000wordscontainedintheFirefoxbrowserintoisiXhosaand
donatingthelanguagepacktotheopensourcecommunity.
» “Google Chrome and Internet Explorer already exist in isiXhosa, but an
advertisingduopolyisnotagoodthingfordiversity,”IanHenderson,Rubric
chieftechnologyofficer,hastoldITWebAfrica.
» “OureffortistogetisiXhosatoasmanypeopleaspossiblewithouthaving
to give away personal details which get hovered up by Google and
Microsoft in order to target their adverts more closely,” Henderson has
explained.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 10 September 2013

28. APPLEUNVEILSTWONEWIPHONES:
THE5SAND5C
» Forthefirsttimeever,AppleunveiledtwonewiPhones– atraditionalupgradeofits
iPhone5aswellasasimpler,cheaperversion.
» AppleCEOTimCooksaidtheiPhone5SandiPhone5Careareactiontoachanging
smartphonemarket.
» TheiPhone5C willsellforaslittleas$99,fora16GBversion,and$199foronewith
32GBofstorage.
» The5Sfeaturesahandfulofperformanceupgrades,includingwhatApplecallsa
dramaticincreaseinprocessingspeed.Itwillhavethefirst64-bitchipinasmartphone-
-Apple'sA7--whichistestedtobeatuptotwiceasfastastheiPhone5'sprocessor.
» Thelistofnewfeaturesinclude:amotionco-processor,thatwillletthephonebeused
asafitnesstrackeralongthelinesofaFitBit..Batterylifewillbe"thesameorbetter"
thantheiPhone5anditscamerawillhave15%moreactivesensorspace,improved
whitebalanceandauto-focus,andanewflash.
» Itscamerawill,forthefirsttimeoniPhone,allowvideoinslowmotion.
» ThemostdramaticnewfeatureonthephoneisTouchID,afingerprintscannerfor
addedsecurity.
» TheiPhone5Swillsellfor$199fora16GBversion,$299fora32GBmodeland$399
forthetop-end64GBphone.
Source: CNN, 11 September 2013

29. VODAFONESETFOROWN-BRAND4G
SMARTPHONELAUNCH
» VodafoneGroupappearstobeplanninganown-brand4Gsmartphone,withthe
devicehavingrecentlypassedthroughtheapprovalsprocesswiththeUSFederal
CommunicationsCommission.
» AccordingtodocumentscitedbyEngadget,thedeviceisarebadgedCoolpad
8860UfromChinesevendorYulong–oneofthetopthreesmartphonevendorsinits
homemarket.
» TheAndroiddevicehastribandLTEsupport(800,1800,2600MHz)alongside2G
and3Gconnectivity.
» Whatisnotimmediatelyclearisthetargetmarketforthedevice:Vodafone’sown-
branddeviceshavetraditionallybeenaimedatcost-consciouscustomers,whileits
4Gconnectivityplanstargethigher-spendingcustomers(itscheapestUKSIM-only
offeris£26permonth).
» WithLTEstillinitsinfancyintheUK,andVodafone’srivalscontinuingwiththeir
positioningofitasapremiumservice,thereseemstobelittleincentiveforthe
companytopush4Gadoptionfurtherintothemassmarket.
Source: Mobile World Live, 18 September 2013

30. BBMLAUNCHFORANDROID,APPLE
SUSPENDED
» SmartphonemakerBlackBerryhasfailedtodeliveronitspromiseoffully
launchingitsmessagingapplicationforAppleandAndroiddevicesbythe
weekendof23September2013.
» ThestrugglingCanadiansmartphonemakersaidthatBlackBerry
Messenger(BBM)wouldbeavailableasafreedownloadforAndroid
smartphonesonSeptember21,whileAppleiPhoneuserswouldbeable
todownloadtheapponSeptember22.
» ButafteraleakedversionoftheAndroidversionoftheappwasreleased,
thesmartphonemakerhasdecidedtotemporarilysuspendthelaunchof
theapplication.
» “PriortolaunchingBBMforAndroid,anunreleasedversionoftheBBM
forAndroidappwaspostedonline,”saidBlackBerryonitsblog.
» “Wearepausingtheglobalroll-outofBBMforAndroidandiPhone.
CustomerswhohavealreadydownloadedBBMforiPhonewillbeable
tocontinuetouseBBM.TheunreleasedAndroidappwillbedisabled,
andcustomerswhodownloadeditshouldvisitwww.BBM.comto
registerforupdatesonofficialBBMforAndroidavailability.”
Source: ITWeb Africa, 23 September 2013

31. Mobile Networks
SECTION 4

32. AFRIHOSTMOBILE:10GBFORR197
» Afrihost has unveiled its latest mobile data prices, which include a 10GB
pre-paidmobiledataproductforR197.
» Afrihost said that its new mobile data products will be launched on 5
September2013,whichwillincludea“3GB+7GB”packageforR197–a
pricewhichisguaranteeduntil30November2013.
» “After30Novemberthisofferwillberevisedorextended,”Afrihostsaidina
pressstatement.
» Afrihost will also introduce standard Topup rates at R99 per GB – as
opposedtoout-of-bundledatacharges.AllAfrihostMobiledataproductswill
bemonth-to-month.
» Afrihost will be introducing a range of mobile devices in addition to its
HuaweiE5331HSPA+3GMiFidevicepricedatR996.
Source: mybroadband, 2 September 2013

33. STANDARDBANK’SPAYMENTAPP
MODELWINSMTNAWARD
» SnapScan, a Standard Bank-invented payment app model which is
currently being piloted in parts of South Africa by Standard Bank’ South
Africa’s +innovation hub Beyond Payments, has been awarded the 2013
MTNBusinessAppoftheYear.
» The app permits clients to use their phone to make payments at any
merchant point showing the SnapScan logo, without having to pop in an
electronicwallet.
» Aftertheappisdownloadeduserscanscantheircreditordebitcarddetails,
andusetheirphonetopay,.
» SnapScan cuts payment periods, eliminates any need to carry cash
aroundwhilealsoallowingreceiptstobeemailedtocustomers.
» SnapScanwasstartedin2013andiscurrentlybeingpilotedintheWestern
Cape region, among local traders and retailers in and around the
Stellenboscharea.
» “Merchantsrangefromsmallscalecurioandhandcrafttraderstohigh-end
delis and restaurants, and even a fuel filling station,” John Campbell, the
headofBeyondPayments,saidinastatement.
Source: Ventures Africa, 2 September 2013

34. MTNSASLASHESAFRICACALLRATES
» Mobile operator MTN has slashed call rates to five African countriesfor its
SouthAfricansubscribers.
» Inapressstatement,MTNsayscallstoZimbabwe,Mozambique,Nigeria,
LesothoandSwazilandaresettocostR0,75cperminute.
» MTN SA chief marketing officer, Brian Gouldie, says in a statement that
MTNobservedaneedamongalargebaseofitscustomerstomakecalls
toAfricancountries.
» “We are introducing an offering that would address the growing needs of
ourcustomer’stomakecheapercallstointernationaldestinationseitherfor
businessorforpersonalreasons,”saysGouldie.
» “We understand that these are financially strenuous times and it is of
important that we boldly bring products that seek to address customers’
needsforaffordablevalue,”Gouldieadds.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 16 September 2013

35. TELKOMMOBILEFREEWI-FITESTED
» TelkomMobileisoffering60minutesoffree,unlimitedWi-Fieverydaytoall
consumers in a promotion which runs from 8 August to 15 December
2013.
» TelkomMobile’sfreeWi-Fiserviceisavailableinareaswherethecompany
hascoverage,whichincludesshoppingcentresandotherpublicareas.
» MyBroadband tested the service to see what people can expect from the
service.TheCenturionMallwasselectedasthetestingground.
» TogainaccesstothefreeTelkomMobileWi-Fiservice,youhavetoSMS
the company, after which an access code and PIN will be sent. This
processworkedperfectly.
» MyBroadbandtestedtheservicebydoingwhatmostpeoplearelikelytodo
onafreeWi-Fiservice–checkinge-mail,surfingtheweb,anddownloading
afewsmallfiles.
» Whatbecameveryclear,veryquickly,wasthattheservicewasnotstable.
Intermsofdownloadingfiles,checkinge-mail,ordoingspeedtests.
» TelkomMobile’sfreeWi-Fiservicewasfrustratingtousebecauseofthe
relativelypoorperformance,butitisafreeservice.
» Ifyoudonothaveanotheroptionsandyouwanttocheckyoure-mailorvisit
awebsite,itservesitspurpose.
Source: mybroadband, 16 September 2013

36. TELKOMTODOUBLESAADSLSPEEDS
» SouthAfricanfixedlineoperator,Telkom,planstodoubleADSLspeedsby
theendofthisyearatnocosttocustomers.
» Downloadspeedsof1,024Kbps(around1Mbps)willbemigratedto2,048
Kbps(2Mbps)and2,048Kbps(2Mbps)willbemigratedto4,096Kbps(4
Mbps).
» Meanwhile,subscriberswith4,096Kbps(4Mbps)lineswillbemigratedto
10,240Kbps(10Mbps)speeds.
» Accordingtoacompanystatement,theupgradeisexpectedtotakeplace
inaphasedapproachcommencing11November2013.
» Thestatementalsoreadsthat“usersaresettobenefitfromplannedspeed
upgradesatnoadditionalcost”.
» TelkomhassaidmigratingtobetterADSLlinesispartofitsplanned
‘NetworkTransformationProgramme’,whichisexpectedtoincreasethe
performanceofthelinesandmeetthecountry’sgrowingbroadband
demands.
» Headded,“Thesespeedenhancementswillcontributetodrivingfixed
broadbandpenetrationintheSouthAfricanmarketasitfacilitatesthe
accessforISPs’customerstorichmediacontentsuchasvideo,musicand
seamlesslivestreaming.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 20 September 2013

37. Technology
SECTION 5

38. SAMSUNG,QUALCOMMMAKE
FORAYINTOSMARTWATCHMARKET
» SamsungElectronicsandQualcommunveiledsmartwatches,tappinga
potential"wearables"marketworthanestimated$50billionasthehigh-end
mobilephonemarketbecomessaturated.
» ThecompanieslaunchedthedevicesatnearlysimultaneouseventsinBerlin
andSanDiego,andsomeanalystsimmediatelyquestionedwhetherthe
devicesweretoocostly,withexpectedpricesofnear$300.
» Samsung'sGalaxyGearsmartwatchworksasanaccessorytoitsmarket-
leadingGalaxysmartphone,withasmallscreenofferingbasicfunctionssuch
asphotos,hands-freecallsandinstantmessaging.
» Qualcomm's"Toq"smartwatchcanplaymusicandhandlephonecallsand
messages.Itwillbethefirstsmartwatchwithatouch-enabled"Mirasol"colour
screenthatcanbeviewedeasilyinbrightsunlight.
» Themarketpotentialforwearabledevicesissignificant.Leveragingadvances
invoicetechnology,biometrics,communications,cloudstorageandpower
consumption,smartwatchesandotherwearabledevicescouldbea$50
billionmarketby2017,accordingtoCreditSuisse.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 5 September 2013

39. LOVEFORPERSONALCOMPUTERS
ONTHEDECLINE
» Tablets have a small edge over laptops and desktops when it comes to
customer satisfaction, but consumer love for PCs in general is down,
accordingtoanewAmericanCustomerSatisfactionIndexreport.
» TheACSI'sHouseholdApplianceandElectronicsReport2013measuredthe
satisfaction levels for personal computers (including desktops, laptops, and
tablets)basedoninterviewswithmorethan2,700customers.
» Ona100-pointscale,tabletsgrabbedascoreof81,slightlyoutpacinglaptops
and desktops, which earned 79 points each. PC devices in general saw a
1.3%declineinsatisfactionfromlastyear,withatotalscoreof79.
» Among device makers, Apple took the lead with a score of 87, outshining
Windowsdevicemakersbyanywherefrom8%to12%,accordingtoACSI.
HP came in second with 80, followed by Dell with 79, Toshiba with 78, and
Acerwith77.
» "Microsoft'srevampedWindows8operatingsystemdoesnotseemtohave
provided a bounce in sales or in customer satisfaction for these
manufacturers,"ACSIDirectorDavidVanAmburgsaidinastatement.
» "Moreover,thevastmajorityofdevicesofferedbyHP,Dell,andothersmaller
PC makers are desktops or laptops -- a category that consumers find less
gratifyingthantablets.”
Source: CNET, 16 September 2013

40. Social Media
SECTION 6

41. FACEBOOKTESTSLINKEDIN-ESQUE
‘PROFESSIONALSKILLS’TAB
» With Facebook’s ongoing quest to combine every other social network’s
features under its own blue slab, it appears Facebook is now adding a
“Professional Skills” section where users can, well, boast about the things
they’regoodatgettingpaidtodo.
» Currentlyintesting,thefeatureisreminiscentofLinkedIn’sSkillssectionwhere
users can select an expert field, skill, or interest and have all this information
encompassedundertheirFacebookprofile’sAbouttab.
» TheprimarydifferencebetweenFacebookandLinkedIn,however,isthatwith
Facebook’s skill tab, you can click the skill to search forother people who’ve
listedsimilarexpertise.
» At the moment, LinkedIn does not let users find other job candidates with
similarskillsets, though thereisan ironicallymore socialaspect since friends
andcolleaguescanendorseyouforwhateveritisyousayyou’regoodat.
» That isn’t to say that LinkedIn hasn’t been, say, inspired by Facebook’s
featureseither.
» It also borrowed the infamous “Like” system so users can approve of posts
andupdatesmadebyfriendsorcompaniestheyarefollowing.
» Thereisnosetdateofwhenthisfeaturewillbecomeavailable
Source: Digital Trends, 9 September 2013

42. FACEBOOKOPENSTWITTER-LIKE
FEED
» Facebook announced its latest bid to unseat Twitter as the hub for real-time
online conversations: giving a few media partners the ability to tap into its
“publicfeed”ofalltheFacebookpoststhataremadepublicbymembers.
» That means companies such as CNN and Slate will be able to see a real-
timelistofpublicpostsrelatedtocertainkeywords.
» Only posts that users have marked “public” will be available for this stream,
thoughsomeusersmaybesurprisedtolearnwhattheyhavemadepublic.
» FacebookisonalongmarchtostakeitsclaimtowhatTwitterhascalledthe
“globaltownsquare.”
» InJune,Facebookofficiallyrolledouthashtags,orkeywordsthataremarked
by“#,”aftermonthsofwork.
» ThehashtagwaspopularisedbyTwitterusersaboutfiveyearsago,asaway
toeasilygrouptweetsonrelatedtopics.
» Withthenewchanges,Facebookistryingtoraiseitsprofileasaplacewhere
peoplegototalkaboutwhat’shappeningnow.
» Mediapartners,includingBuzzfeed,NBC’sTodayShow,SkyTV,andSlate,
willgetaccesstowhat’scalledapublicfeedAPI,meaningthatthey’llbeable
topullfromFacebook’sfirehoseofpublicposts.
Source: Digital Trends, 9 September 2013

43. WORLDWIDEWORX:SA'SSOCIAL
MEDIALANDSCAPE
» Twitterhasgrowninthe pastyearfrom2.4millionto5.5millionusersinSA.SouthAfricanspost54million
tweetsamonth,with85%oftheseoriginatingfrommobiledevices.
» 9.4millionSouthAfricansareonFacebookand87%ofusersaccessFacebookfromamobiledevice.
» SA'stopfivemost-visitedsitesareGoogle,Facebook,YouTube,LinkedInandYahoo.
» Mxithas"lostitsmojo",with7.4millionactivemonthlyuserscurrentlyontheplatform(downfrom9.5million
ayearago)
» Thetop200YouTubersinSAeachhavemorethan1.5millionaccountviewsbuttherearealmostno
celebritiesamongthetop100oftheseYouTubers.
» InSA,thereare466828activeGoogle+users–0.7%oftheglobalGoogle+base.
» Thereare2.7millionregisteredLinkedInusersinSA,withthetopdemographicbeingthoseaged25to34
(34%),thetopindustrybeingfinanceandthetopcategoryentrepreneurship.
» ThetopfreeappinApple,GoogleandWindowsappstoresisWhatsApp.TheAppleAppStore'sother
topdownloadedfreeappsareInstagram,followedbyDarts,FacebookandYouTube.
» GooglePlayStore'sothertopdownloadedfreeappsareFacebook,BBMforAndroid,BBMAndroid
RegistrationandWeChat.
Source: ITWeb, 10 September 2013

44. TWITTERTOGOPUBLIC
» The leading social media platform is set to go public after it filed an
application for an Initial Public Offer (IPO) with the U.S security and
exchangecommission.
» According to an analyst, the news of the media’s IPO request is not
surprising,givenasuccessfulmovebysocialmediagiantFacebook,and
expectsthebird-logoedsitetothreadasimilarpathinextendingitsreach
tomobilemarkets.
» Theinteractiveplatformwhichhasattractedover200millionactiveusers
since its launchinMarch 2006, hopestobecomeanactive playerin the
mobilebusinessindustry,citingthesuccessFacebookhasenjoyedfrom
exploitingpotential-filledmarket.
» Twitter has gone one step further to ensure a smooth floatation by
acquiring a mobile advertising business, MoPub, which would enable it
buyadspacesautomatically.
» Thebuyoutwasfinalisedinastake-swapdealworth$300–$400million,
whichwillgivetheadvertisingfirmapieceofTwitter.
Source: Ventures Africa, 13 September 2013

45. Facebook Statistics for
Africa
SECTION 7

46. BOTSWANA
» Activeusers:420.000
» Penetration: 20.02%
» 280,000 Gaborone; 44,000 Francistown; 4,800 Molepolole;
780Moshupa
» 46.9%Female; 53.1%Male
» The largest age group of users is 19-25, followed by the
usersintheage26-35
» 37.6%collegegraduatesarethelargestgroupofusers
» 85.7%mobileusers;14.3%non-mobileusers
» 42.6%Android;11%iOS;46.4%others
Source: Social Times Me, 20 September 2013

47. ZIMBABWE
» Activeusers:1.260.000
» Penetration: 9.98%
» 740,000 Harare; 28,000 Chitungwiza; 168,000 Bulawayo;
42,000Gweru
» 37.1%Female; 62.9%Male
» The largest age group of users is 19-25, followed by the
usersintheagecategoryof26-35
» 27%collegegraduatesarethelargestgroupofusers
» 84.1%mobileusers;15.9%non-mobileusers
» 76.9%Android;10.8%iOS;12.3%others
Source: Social Times Me, 20 September 2013

48. GHANA
» Activeusers:2.400.000
» Penetration: 9.74%
» 1,400,000 Accra; 340,000 Kumasi; 56,000 Tamale; 9,000
Bolgatanga
» 31.9%Female;68.1%Male
» The largest age group of users is 19-25, followed by the
usersintheagecategoryof26-35
» 28.3%collegegraduatesarethelargestgroupofusers
» 70.8%mobileusers,29.2%non-mobileusers
» 74.6%Android;11.6%iOS;13.8%others
Source: Social Times Me, 20 September 2013

49. LESOTHO
» Activeusers: 112.000
» Penetration: 5.80%
» 90,000 Maseru;2,600Mafateng;1,160Butha-Buthe
» 48.2%Female; 51.8%Male
» The largest age group of users is 19-25, followed by the
usersintheage categoryof26-35
» At25%,collegegraduatesarethelargestgroupofusers
» 83.9%mobileusers; 16.1%non-mobileusers
» 28.9%Android;5.8%iOS; 65.3%others
Source: Social Times Me, 20 September 2013

50. SWAZILAND
» Activeusers: 145.000
» Penetration: 10.24%
» 43.7%Female; 56.3%Male
» The largest age group of users is 19-25, followed by the
usersintheagecategoryof26-35
» 26.8%collegegraduatesarethelargestgroupofusers
» 87.3%mobileusers; 12.7%non-mobileusers
» 53.9%Android;10.8%iOS; 35.3%others
Source: Social Times Me, 20 September 2013

51. Sources and Contacts

52. SOURCES
» http://www.cnet.com/
» http://www.digitaltrends.com/
» http://www.engadget.com/
» http://www.itweb.co.za/
» http://www.itwebafrica.com/
»http://www.techeye.net/
» http://marketingland.com/
» http://www.mobileworldlive.com/
» http://edition.cnn.com/
» http://www.ventures-africa.com/
» http://mybroadband.co.za/news/
» http://socialdaily.me/
» http://www.techsmart.co.za/

53. CONTACTUS
Angus Robinson | Director: Mobility
[tel] +27 (11) 555-3800
[cell] +27 (83) 635 4400
[fax] 0867210884
[email] angus@native.co.za
[twitter] @angusrobinson
Have a look at all previous Mobile Reports and other mobile work on our site -
http://www.native.co.za/home?keyword=mobile
Should you have any mobile insight, strategy, campaign or solution
requirements please contact us.

54. The end.